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00:00:00In September of 97 an unknown appears on Nitro his name Bill Goldberg.
00:00:10Not a spot like your dog spot.
00:00:13No not just any spot.
00:00:15But my spot.
00:00:21Back in 1997 in September of that year WCW Monday Nitro was little more than two years old.
00:00:28Lex Luger in August the previous month had won the world title only lose it to Hollywood Hulk Hogan less than six days from that time.
00:00:36He lost it at Road Wild.
00:00:38We knew about Hogan.
00:00:39We knew about his dominance.
00:00:40We knew about Luger.
00:00:41We knew about Sting.
00:00:43But Scott Hudson later that month Bill Goldberg made his very first appearance in a wrestling match against Hugh Morris on WCW Monday Nitro.
00:00:52Of course many of us knew about Goldberg from his years with the Georgia Bulldogs and the Atlanta Falcons.
00:00:57But we did know about Goldberg the wrestler.
00:00:59The buzz was incredible about Bill Goldberg.
00:01:02You ain't kidding.
00:01:03Speaking of buzz.
00:01:05Goldberg the former Georgia Bulldog.
00:01:08The former Atlanta Falcon.
00:01:09We had heard about what he could do inside the power plant in the training regimen.
00:01:13We didn't know what he was going to do inside the ring at that unbelievable debut against Hugh Morris.
00:01:19What's really interesting about it Tony also is I think the NWO at the time underestimated Bill Goldberg.
00:01:24They were worrying about their own problems.
00:01:26But if you look back at this match we're going to take a look at in just a second you can see how dominant he is.
00:01:30Near the end kicking out of the no laughing matter moonsault.
00:01:34That was a harbinger for things to come and the dominant athlete that he'd be in the future.
00:01:38Well Goldberg certainly impressed me the first time I saw him.
00:01:41And certainly the progression from week to week that we got to see him really came fast.
00:01:46He learned this business quicker and made a bigger impact faster than anyone in the history of wrestling.
00:01:51Mike what I think made Goldberg special was the fact that we all know that wrestlers to get over with the fans have to do a good interview.
00:01:58Goldberg got over the fans we didn't even hear him talk for a long time.
00:02:01Tony you really make a great point and that's what I remember about that first match.
00:02:04I know we were in Salt Lake City and I recall that mean Gene Okerlund tried to interview Goldberg after the bout.
00:02:09But he was a man of few words.
00:02:10He let his actions in the ring really speak for what he was all about.
00:02:14Weren't you two guys on Springer dating the two-headed rower derby queen?
00:02:19Got into a big fight you two?
00:02:21Here is a memorable moment from the history of Monday Nitro and of WCW.
00:02:26So much at stake on two hours at Nitro.
00:02:30You gotta stay with us fans as you know many times we have so much we have to go past the 10 o'clock Eastern Time Hour.
00:02:38We're live from the East Center Arena.
00:02:40Brand new facility, new venue opened up only Friday.
00:02:45This past Friday and coming up in the year 2002 during the Winter Olympics.
00:02:52This venue will host Olympic Hockey and also we understand short track speed skating as well.
00:02:59Well I hope they have the paper in the bathroom by then.
00:03:02Here we go, the next bout here on WCW Monday Night Show.
00:03:07A beautiful building in Salt Lake and a capacity crowd on hand.
00:03:11It really is.
00:03:13Hugh Morris.
00:03:14Hugh Morris who has really picked up quite a win-loss record will face a newcomer here in Bill Goldberg.
00:03:26A man we know absolutely nothing about, but he is making his debut here.
00:03:31And from the looks of him, he's very determined and looks very powerful here, Mike Tanay.
00:03:36Well, Tony, I certainly pride myself on knowing the background, the experience factor of the wrestlers involved.
00:03:41And I don't have any information on Bill Goldberg.
00:03:45Help me out, Larry.
00:03:46You don't know.
00:03:47We have stumped Tanay.
00:03:48Fire him.
00:03:49It's a first.
00:03:50I don't know much about Bill Goldberg, but we just have to watch his movement.
00:03:55I mean, the guy looks strong, good shape.
00:03:57He's gonna have to be a man that's got good movement to combat here against Hugh Morris.
00:04:02Fans, as we said, Interim Commissioner Rowdy Roddy Piper is here.
00:04:07We found out Saturday morning on WCW Main Event on TBS that he would be making a big statement,
00:04:14a profound statement that has a major impact on the New World Order.
00:04:19That is coming up later on in this program live.
00:04:23Also, we do know that Hollywood Hulk Hogan is here.
00:04:26And as we said, Kurt Hennig, the newest member of the NWO,
00:04:30will defend his United States Heavyweight Championship against Jeff Jarrett.
00:04:36Look at this roll-up.
00:04:37Actually done by Goldberg.
00:04:39Got a submission hold on on the leg, and Hugh Morris going to the ropes here.
00:04:43Working on the ankle and on the knee of Hugh Morris.
00:04:46He's trying to get that figure four on the leg right there, but not in the right position,
00:04:51not in the right ring position.
00:04:52Goldberg, I don't know much about the guy, but just from watching him move,
00:04:55he's gonna have to realize his ring position.
00:04:58A lot of these guys are here on Night Raw.
00:05:00The butterflies in his turn have to be big.
00:05:03Well, Hugh Morris is a big man, and we see that when they're standing next to each other,
00:05:06that Goldberg is several inches taller.
00:05:08Hugh Morris to the middle, turned back up, going up on the top.
00:05:14Here's his moonsault.
00:05:15One, two, and he kicked out.
00:05:19Goldberg kicked out.
00:05:21He kicked out.
00:05:22That's a shocker.
00:05:23Yeah.
00:05:24This looks shocked.
00:05:25You're not kidding, he does.
00:05:26Hubris with a stunned look on his face.
00:05:28He kicked down in no laughing matter.
00:05:30A back elbow puts him down again.
00:05:32How about that back flip?
00:05:36And a big power slam.
00:05:40And that's a lot to lift, over 300 pounds of Hugh Morris.
00:05:43And he did it with ease.
00:05:44That time, he's gonna pick him up again.
00:05:46Scoop's playing for him now.
00:05:48Hey, a pretty edge up for a big Goldberg.
00:05:52Watch his hair.
00:05:53One, two.
00:05:55Did he attack again?
00:05:56Maybe a vertical suplex here, got him up.
00:05:59Yeah, it is.
00:06:01Muscles him up.
00:06:03Combination slam, one, two, three.
00:06:05He got him.
00:06:06Bill Goldberg, out of obscurity, pumps the nitro and pulls a major upset.
00:06:14And Hugh Morris is now laughing.
00:06:17He got one shot in.
00:06:19How about that?
00:06:20Not only did he pin him, he kicked out of no laughing matter.
00:06:23You know, I think Hugh Morris got shot.
00:06:25He gave him his best shot, and Bill Goldberg kicked out of it.
00:06:29What a debut for Bill Goldberg.
00:06:32Incredibly, with a major upset over Hubris here on WCW Monday Nitro.
00:06:38Now go find out who Bill Goldberg is.
00:06:40All right, let's leave that up to Gene Okerlund, Gene.
00:06:42Well, I'm gonna try to find out something about this big man.
00:06:45That's very impressive.
00:06:46A gentleman the stature of Hugh Morris, and you absolutely got in there and manhandled him tonight.
00:06:52Sir, I've got to get a little bit more than that.
00:06:56This gentleman just walking away from me.
00:06:58Is he a mute?
00:07:01I can't believe that, Tony.
00:07:03Larry, I haven't seen anything like that.
00:07:05Very impressive.
00:07:06But who is this guy, Goldberg?
00:07:08You tell me today.
00:07:09When we come back on WCW Special Look at Nitro,
00:07:15Goldberg wins his first title in World Championship Wrestling.
00:07:19The Fidom, that is the one and only Bill Goldberg.
00:07:36We're back fans.
00:07:37Bill Goldberg had been in the ring in WCW less than one year and already he had a title shot.
00:07:42He met Raven in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the World Arena for the WCW U.S. title.
00:07:48It was a memorable moment for all of us, Mike Deney.
00:07:51You know, Tony, I think the handwriting was on the wall for the announcers, for the wrestlers, for the WCW promotion.
00:07:56We really knew it at that time.
00:07:58Goldberg winning the U.S. title.
00:07:59He was on his way to bigger and better things and that eventual reign as the world's heavyweight champion.
00:08:03And right here is the man.
00:08:05Stand up.
00:08:06Hey, I never had nothing to do with that.
00:08:07My hands are clean.
00:08:08I'm giving you some credit here.
00:08:10Right here is the man that coined the phrase, da man.
00:08:13Well, yes, I did.
00:08:14I don't like to brag or, you know, but I'm the kind of a guy.
00:08:17I like to give, give, give for my knowledge in the business and my years in this great sport.
00:08:21I like to share with other people.
00:08:23Good.
00:08:24We've made a lot of money off of that.
00:08:25And, of course, and rightly, you know, he owes me for that.
00:08:29You know, he's a deadbeat or something.
00:08:31Give me something for it.
00:08:32He's made millions off that.
00:08:33Help us out here, Scott.
00:08:34He's got movies and everything.
00:08:35Check the bottle.
00:08:36How much is left back there?
00:08:37Give me something about that.
00:08:38When that boulder rolls down the mountain, you've got two options.
00:08:41Get out of the way or get rolled over.
00:08:44Raven found out the hard way in Colorado Springs.
00:08:47He didn't get out of the way and he got rolled over by Goldberg.
00:08:49And it wasn't only Raven.
00:08:50At the time, he was running with the flock.
00:08:52They had run rampant over WCW, even taking that U.S. belt off Diamond Doll's page.
00:08:56Tony, we always hear Goldberg say, who's next?
00:08:58Well, this night it was Raven.
00:09:00Here we go to Colorado Springs, Colorado, Raven and Goldberg for the WCW U.S. title.
00:09:05I don't think 50 bucks is too much for you to ask.
00:09:07No, I don't either.
00:09:08I won't be fair about things.
00:09:09I'm a kind of guy.
00:09:10They're standing everywhere.
00:09:15Signs, t-shirts, banners.
00:09:17Look at that, 74.
00:09:20Now the fans know it.
00:09:22His biggest night.
00:09:23And you're witnessing it live as it happens.
00:09:27I'm not drunk.
00:09:28I'm not drunk.
00:09:29Ladies and gentlemen, taking his way to the ring.
00:09:38His hometown, unknown.
00:09:43His weight, unknown.
00:09:48His professional record, we all know.
00:09:5374 victories without a defeat.
00:09:56Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the challenger, the undefeated, Goldberg.
00:10:09Here's what we've been waiting for, guys.
00:10:11Goldberg, he moved the Rocky Mountains with a single arm.
00:10:15He punched down Pike's Peak, and he leaped over Colorado Springs in a single bound.
00:10:21If Raven doesn't have kryptonite, I'd fly to Coot.
00:10:26Here we go, ladies and gentlemen.
00:10:28United States Heavyweight Championship.
00:10:31Raven, Goldberg.
00:10:36And Billy Silverman, the man assigned to this one.
00:10:40As always, the focus, the intensity, and the odds of Goldberg.
00:10:47Look what Raven's doing.
00:10:49Almost taunting, daring Goldberg to come get it.
00:10:53And Goldberg is the man of good.
00:11:01Raven gets the first blow in.
00:11:03And Raven almost a version of his spear.
00:11:06Yeah, taking a page out of the Goldberg playbook.
00:11:09Got the feet up and a drop kick by Raven and a great one.
00:11:12When's the last time we saw a drop kick from Raven?
00:11:14I've never seen a drop kick from Raven.
00:11:16Honey, uptown, now Raven gets takes.
00:11:18Raven's gonna do anything he has to, but he can't do it.
00:11:21The power of Goldberg.
00:11:23The power is right, Larry.
00:11:25The one undeniable factor of Goldberg is the power, right in front of the flock.
00:11:31He's got power, Tony, but he can use it because he's got the balance.
00:11:36He's a natural athlete, and this guy, he is ready.
00:11:40He is not gonna blow an undefeated record.
00:11:44All right, I have been told it is Raven's rules, which means anything goes,
00:11:48which means that's why Billy Strowman allowed this match to continue way past
00:11:52what should have been a count out on the outside.
00:11:54And I'm sure, just like we speculated earlier, that's the way Goldberg likes it.
00:11:58Raven's rules, it doesn't matter to him.
00:12:00It's a match and a chance for him to step into the record books.
00:12:04And Goldberg rolled through nice, had a good ankle lock on Raven.
00:12:07Raven barely made it to the ropes.
00:12:09Raven's fighting for his life to get that rope escape.
00:12:12Great kick.
00:12:14Here's a surprise for you.
00:12:16It's a brand new move by Goldberg.
00:12:18A reverse kick that caught Raven in the face.
00:12:22Raven did not expect that at all.
00:12:25You can watch all the scouting videos you want.
00:12:28I've never seen Goldberg do that.
00:12:30Oh, a chair in the gut.
00:12:31It caught Goldberg.
00:12:32And now across the back hard.
00:12:34Raven and Raven's rules now, using the chair to his advantage,
00:12:38throwing the chair in the ring, and Goldberg slid in there as well.
00:12:43And here comes Raven giving chase.
00:12:45Goldberg has been so phenomenal, but we've never seen Goldberg
00:12:49have to fight off an onslaught of a man using a weapon.
00:12:53Drops him on the chair, and he bit the chair.
00:12:56That massive upper body.
00:12:58Cover one, two, and Goldberg kicks out before the two count.
00:13:01He's gonna make Goldberg very mad here.
00:13:04I'm gonna do that.
00:13:06Using the chair, well, we'll find out here the legend
00:13:11that has been Bill Goldberg over 74 wins.
00:13:16Will it stop at 74, or will 75 be the gold?
00:13:21Goldberg!
00:13:22Right now, it looks as if, Mike, tonight,
00:13:24Raven trying to drive Goldberg down to the match.
00:13:28Smart move by Raven, neutralizing Goldberg in mid-ring.
00:13:31Just trying to maintain the control that he has at this point.
00:13:35One other huge factor to keep in mind, the level of pain, the threshold of pain,
00:13:40as far as Raven is concerned.
00:13:42He claims that pain has no effect.
00:13:44It's just mind over matter.
00:13:45Let's see if he can fight off this comeback attempt by Goldberg.
00:13:49The fans are rough as Goldberg gets up, almost a version of a sleeper hole.
00:13:53Into the corner, Raven follows him in with a short lariat.
00:13:56And then almost woke him up.
00:13:58Goldberg is shaking it off, and he's not budging.
00:14:02The pain is registering, but it has no effect on Goldberg.
00:14:05There's a spear.
00:14:07The fans are rough.
00:14:08There's a member of the flock up on top.
00:14:11And that was Sick Boyd.
00:14:12Here comes Kidman.
00:14:13Again, remember, this is Raven's rules.
00:14:15This is legal.
00:14:16There goes Kidman.
00:14:19He just tossed him like a quarter.
00:14:23Out goes Sick Boyd.
00:14:26That's the newest member of Raven's flock.
00:14:28We saw him last night, his free stampede, and he goes down.
00:14:32Uh-oh, uh-oh.
00:14:33Now the big man Reese is in.
00:14:38Points Goldberg up, but Goldberg fires back.
00:14:41Raven is still down.
00:14:42No. God, he's gonna try to pick him up.
00:14:45He's gotta stay focused here on Raven.
00:14:47That's a 10 on the Richter.
00:14:51Wow.
00:14:52That man is almost 500 pounds.
00:14:55What a show of strength by Goldberg.
00:14:57Is there anybody else for the flock?
00:14:59I think they're on a flock.
00:15:00They're on a flock.
00:15:02That wants to get in.
00:15:03Look at Raven, he's trying to leave.
00:15:05Raven is trying to leave.
00:15:07The fans, the fans, the fans stopped him.
00:15:11And threw him back off of that guardrail.
00:15:13They want to see this.
00:15:15And they're here to support Goldberg in any way they can.
00:15:19There's a spear.
00:15:22For the second time, the spear.
00:15:25Could it be time?
00:15:27Everyone standing.
00:15:30As Goldberg is going for it right now.
00:15:36No.
00:15:38Jack Hammer, two, three.
00:15:41He got a new champion, and Goldberg is open for business.
00:15:46Give that man the belt.
00:15:49Goldberg is the United States Heavyweight Champion, and he won it in grand style.
00:15:58And took the victory number 75 in a row.
00:16:0375 and 0.
00:16:0575 and 0.
00:16:06He thought of every member of the flock.
00:16:10The fans brought Raven back in the ring.
00:16:14Goldberg fears no man.
00:16:17He's a champion live on the day Nitro.
00:16:22When you become the WCW US champion, you are also the number one contender to the world
00:16:27heavyweight title.
00:16:28Goldberg was the US champion.
00:16:29Many people knew it would only be a matter of time before he would get his world title
00:16:33shot.
00:16:34We're going to show you later on this telecast, Goldberg against Hollywood Hulk Hogan for
00:16:39the WCW world title.
00:16:40But Goldberg right now, not only Scott Hudson, was he the US heavyweight champion.
00:16:44Let's not forget, he was completely undefeated.
00:16:47Had not suffered a defeat in world championship wrestling.
00:16:49And let's not forget also, Tony, he hadn't done this by wrestling green rookies right
00:16:53out of the power plant.
00:16:54Sure.
00:16:55He was taken on the top, the upper echelon of world championship wrestling competitors.
00:16:59He earned that undefeated record and the US title.
00:17:01You know, Bobby wants these residuals for coming up with the nickname of the man.
00:17:05Where's my cut for coming up with the winning streak?
00:17:07I mean, I remember once he hit triple digits on his way to a tremendous undefeated string.
00:17:12Now, I'm not going to ask for much either, but as long as you're going to get something,
00:17:15I might as well make a buck out of this.
00:17:16I was the one that first gave him the name.
00:17:18I should get the first money coming my way.
00:17:19I'm not talking about the name.
00:17:20I'm talking about the winning streak.
00:17:21I'm talking about the cash.
00:17:22He owes me first.
00:17:23He's got money for you and me both.
00:17:24How do you know he's got money for you?
00:17:25I'm going to get my cut first.
00:17:26Jeremy, Chad, good seeing you.
00:17:29Come on back and have a party at the end of the program, okay?
00:17:31Is there any champagne left?
00:17:32Yeah, there'll be plenty for you guys.
00:17:34Don't worry.
00:17:35We'll have more on our look at WCW Monday Nitro right after this.
00:17:39We've got six guests and four stools.
00:17:40You figure it out.
00:17:41Time out.
00:17:42And for that, I owe you the wrestling fans.
00:17:47I owe these guys.
00:17:49August 1999, the red and yellow, and Hulk Hogan is back in WCW.
00:18:02That was from Boise, Idaho earlier in the year when Hollywood Hogan became,
00:18:07once again, Hulk Hogan with the yellow and the red.
00:18:10And that leads us into thinking about and talking about some of the more exciting,
00:18:14emotional moments that we experienced throughout the years on WCW Monday Nitro.
00:18:19But nothing will compare, Mike Tanay, with the return of Ric Flair and the reformation of the Four Horsemen.
00:18:24You know, Tony, when you look back and there have been over 200 editions of Monday Nitro,
00:18:27this is probably an impossible task.
00:18:29But if I had to narrow down the field to just that one personal moment that I will always remember,
00:18:35I think it was the emotional return of the Nitro Boy Ric Flair in Greenville, South Carolina.
00:18:40Not just from a standpoint of the fans, not just from the wrestlers, but all the employees of World Championship Wrestling.
00:18:46I think you remember this too.
00:18:47They all came to the set and joined the announcers when Ric Flair entered the building.
00:18:51Tony, it was an unbelievable night there in Greenville.
00:18:53But remember, Ric Flair was gone from World Championship Wrestling, a legal dispute with Eric Bischoff,
00:18:58with World Championship Wrestling as a corporate entity.
00:19:01It was in all the papers, as they say.
00:19:03We knew what Ric Flair had been up against that made it all that more emotional when he returned to Nitro.
00:19:08Well, they said Flair wasn't fair about what he's done, but Flair's always been fair.
00:19:12Everybody knows how fair Ric Flair has been.
00:19:14And if you can't be fair to Flair, who can be fair to?
00:19:17So if you're fair to him, there's no reason why you shouldn't be fair to him.
00:19:20He's fair to you.
00:19:21I always said Ric Flair is the kind of a man I say, be fair to Flair.
00:19:24If Flair can't be fair to you, why should you be fair to Flair?
00:19:26But Flair is Flair to you, so you should be fair to Ric Flair.
00:19:28Wouldn't you say so?
00:19:29I mean, be fair.
00:19:30Makes sense to me.
00:19:31You make sense to me.
00:19:32So much for our emotional moment here on Monday Nitro, but let the footage speak for itself.
00:19:35Yeah, just be fair.
00:19:37Ladies and gentlemen, through the year 2000, we're going to do exactly what all of you across
00:19:45this nation have asked.
00:19:47Arn Anderson, bring back the Horseman.
00:19:50But I feel it fair to tell you, I'm not gonna be responsible for what happens next.
00:19:56Because we don't wear white hats.
00:19:58We're not nice guys.
00:20:00And I can tell you this, heads are gonna roll.
00:20:04So, you said it.
00:20:08Be careful what you wish for, because now you have it.
00:20:13What a goof.
00:20:18What a goof.
00:20:19You know, I get accused of getting racked in the head a few times and having a little touch of Alzheimer's.
00:20:26My God, I almost forgot the fourth Horseman, Ric Flair.
00:20:31Go down here.
00:20:32Here we go.
00:20:33Here we go.
00:21:04One week ago, ladies and gentlemen,
00:21:13when Mark McBurray is 62,
00:21:16the announcer said you always know where you'd be on that day.
00:21:21Well, at 10 at 38 PM Eastern Time on Monday, September 14th,
00:21:27you were a part of wrestling history.
00:21:32He is back.
00:21:37Thank you very much.
00:21:41I'm almost embarrassed by the response.
00:21:47But when I see this, I know that the 25 years that I spent trying to make you happy every night of your life was worth every damn minute of it.
00:22:02Now, somebody told me that the Horsemen were having a party tonight in Greenville.
00:22:17Could that be true that the most elite group that Eric Bischoff said was dead is alive and well?
00:22:32Just like the night in Columbia, South Carolina, when you looked at me, tears in my eyes, and said, God, that's good TV.
00:22:51It was real.
00:22:53Art Anderson passed the torch.
00:22:56It was real, damn it.
00:22:58You think Sting was crying in the dressing room like I was on TV if it wasn't real?
00:23:06This guy, my best friend, is one of the greatest performers to ever live, and you, you squashed in one night.
00:23:23Abuse of power, you, abuse of power.
00:23:30Cut me off, come on.
00:23:32You will never, ever wrestle a nightclub.
00:23:35It's called abuse of power.
00:23:36You suck.
00:23:38You hate your guts.
00:23:40I hate your guts.
00:23:42I hate your guts.
00:23:44You suck.
00:23:45You're history.
00:23:46You are a liar.
00:23:50You're a cheat.
00:23:52You're a scam.
00:23:54You are a no good son of a bitch.
00:23:59You're history.
00:24:04Fire me.
00:24:05I'm already fired.
00:24:07Fire me.
00:24:08I'm already fired.
00:24:11It was quite a scene, and please be serious for once in your life here.
00:24:15Ric Flair, the enforcer Arn Anderson, Dean Malenko, and Chris Benoit in tuxedos, not only reforming the four horsemen,
00:24:24but bringing Ric Flair back to WCW, wouldn't you say?
00:24:28Yes.
00:24:29How serious do you want me to be?
00:24:31Quick, Mike, quick.
00:24:32How serious do you want me to be?
00:24:33It's pretty serious.
00:24:34Of course it was important.
00:24:35Of course it was a big moment at WCW.
00:24:37And, of course, Ric Flair stood out there, always number one man with the horsemen.
00:24:41Arn Anderson, long-time personal close friend.
00:24:44I mean, they're like family together.
00:24:46I think they're cousins or he's his aunt or something.
00:24:49I don't know.
00:24:50But, I mean, it's very important the way their relationship is.
00:24:53Which is close.
00:24:54You think of all the great factions in world championship wrestling through the years,
00:24:58and obviously the NWO has to be considered maybe the most dominant force,
00:25:01but certainly right there with the new world order has to be the four horsemen.
00:25:05And, Scott, I think you'll agree with me.
00:25:07Things just haven't been the same lately here around world championship wrestling.
00:25:10We've seen the firing of Larry Zbysko, Paul Orndorff, and even speaking to the horsemen, Arn Anderson.
00:25:16The powers that be have wreaked havoc on tradition in world championship wrestling and wrestling in general.
00:25:20But the return of Ric Flair, it was tempered by what followed his return to world championship wrestling, Tony.
00:25:26That descent into madness with his institutionalization being beaten up in the swamp and left by the outsiders.
00:25:33It did not get better for Flair when he came back.
00:25:37So you think the old cliche where the acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree when you talk about David Flair?
00:25:42Maybe there's some...
00:25:43Must be in the genes.
00:25:44In the genes?
00:25:45Don't say anything.
00:25:46And we'll be back on TNT right after this time out.
00:25:51When we come back, Bret the Hitman Hart in a tribute to his brother.
00:25:55Stay with us.
00:25:56So how about that, fans?
00:26:12The answer to our trivia question, what city has hosted the most Monday Nitros?
00:26:16It's a tie between Chicago and Tampa, Florida.
00:26:20Of course, Tampa, Florida, not only at the Ice Palace, but at the Steinbrenner Pavilion during the Florida State Fair.
00:26:26It's been one of the top homes for WCW Monday Nitro.
00:26:29Throughout the years, we've had many great matches.
00:26:31Most have been for titles.
00:26:32Some have been for feuds.
00:26:34But this past year, we had a very special match on WCW Monday Nitro.
00:26:38It was in memory of Owen Hart.
00:26:40Bret Hart faced Chris Benoit in the ring.
00:26:43And this was a big moment for Bret Hart because after the death of Owen earlier in the year, Scott, we never thought Bret would ever wrestle again.
00:26:50It was May 23rd in Kansas City when Owen Hart met his untimely demise.
00:26:54And like Tony said, Bret Hart was out of the sport.
00:26:57He was still a contracted employee to World Championship Wrestling.
00:27:00But we assumed we had seen the last of Bret the Hitman Hart.
00:27:04When he came back and wanted to wrestle a match in honor of his late brother, Owen Hart, he could not have picked a better opponent than Chris Benoit.
00:27:11Well, I think for him to take off some time or retire or quit the sport would have been very damaging to his life.
00:27:17I think he had to go on with his life.
00:27:19His whole life has been wrestling from the time in the dungeon.
00:27:21His father wrestled.
00:27:22Some of his other brothers wrestled.
00:27:24And I think it would have been tragic if he would have not gone back into wrestling.
00:27:27Owen Hart was very unappreciated in this business.
00:27:29He was a tremendous athlete.
00:27:31As announcers, we're supposed to remain impartial.
00:27:34And I think we all probably try and do it to our best ability.
00:27:36But in this situation, this was a time where, well, I had the chance to become pretty close with the Hart family.
00:27:41And Bret Hart in particular.
00:27:43In talking to Bret leading up to this match in Kansas City, I know that his emotions were running very high.
00:27:48At that point in time, Bret Hart wanted to go into the ring with just one man.
00:27:51And that was the Canadian Crippler Chris Benoit, who had spent so much of his career in that Canada area,
00:27:57growing up with the Hart family in Calgary.
00:28:00It happened, the Tribune match happened at the same Kemper Arena.
00:28:04Owen Hart, memory, as Bret Hart and Chris Benoit went one-on-one.
00:28:10An ocean full of emotions running through him right now.
00:28:13As he and the Crippler will go at it.
00:28:17In memory of Owen Hart.
00:28:19No title on the line, just one-on-one.
00:28:22Two of the greatest wrestlers in our sport here.
00:28:24You know, I don't think it takes a wrestling expert or a historian to appreciate the importance of tonight's match.
00:28:30To put things in their proper perspective, think of the many high-pressure, high-profile matches that Bret Hart has been involved in in a two-decade-plus career.
00:28:38And then reflect on this direct quote from Bret himself.
00:28:41He said prior to tonight's match that by far this will be the single most important time that I've ever stepped into the ring.
00:28:48I'll try to do my brother proud.
00:28:50I hope my best is good enough.
00:28:51I dedicate this match to Owen Hart and to those who loved him.
00:28:55Who loved him.
00:29:00It's great to have Harley Race, and that was a great introduction by the former World Heavyweight Champion, so it's wonderful to see him.
00:29:06Looking great too, Brain.
00:29:07I thought that was Buffer.
00:29:08And now, now here we go.
00:29:12Benoit and Hux.
00:29:14And you know you're gonna see moves here that they learned and were taught and felt down in the dungeon.
00:29:24In Calgary, the famous dungeon of Stu Hart is where he trained many great wrestlers.
00:29:30I've been there.
00:29:31Yeah, you have.
00:29:32And for years, I think so many of the commentators have talked about that dungeon down in the basement of Stu Hart's house in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
00:29:39I think many of the fans recently, through the Wrestling with Shadows biography of Bret Hart, had the opportunity to see firsthand just what that dungeon is all about.
00:29:48Well, I was never in there wrestling.
00:29:49He just showed me where he trained guys.
00:29:51And I don't mean to make light of things, but I've been through their whole home, and the whole home is a dungeon.
00:29:56It's a wrestling family.
00:29:58Running right over Benoit, Bret Hart.
00:30:01Great maneuver.
00:30:06And Benoit quickly got out of the way on that one.
00:30:08I think there's a lot of people that wonder why Chris Benoit was chosen for this tribute match, and maybe a history lesson is in order.
00:30:15We know about all of the great accomplishments of Chris Benoit here in WCW, but so many parallels to Owen Hart, starting right from square one.
00:30:24Benoit training with that Hart family, as we mentioned, traveling extensively with Owen throughout the world.
00:30:29Canada, Japan, Europe, and Mexico.
00:30:31Tag team partners on many occasions.
00:30:33When you factor in age, size, experience, many similarities between Chris Benoit and Owen Hart.
00:30:42Benoit just trying to bridge out of this knuckle lock here as he pulls back up Shadows Tower.
00:30:49You know, when the accident happened to Owen Hart, of course, Bret was with his family, but Benoit was with us, and he was devastated.
00:30:57Many, many obviously wrestlers were more than just Chris Benoit, but you talked about how he traveled with Owen, and we had a chance to talk to Benoit that following Monday when we were at Nitro.
00:31:10He was obviously shaken, and you could see the emotion as he walked to the ring.
00:31:14And now the combatants give it their all.
00:31:16And we're seeing wrestling holds.
00:31:18Not a lot of finesse here, just straight wrestling holds, great maneuvers.
00:31:22There's a hammerlock takedown.
00:31:24Dungeon wrestling.
00:31:25Dungeon, that's what it is.
00:31:26It is back to the basics.
00:31:27That's right.
00:31:28Back to the basics.
00:31:29The winner of this will be Dungeon Master.
00:31:32For the time being.
00:31:33For the time being.
00:31:34Notice how X-Ratter leverage, he puts the head between the shoulder blades, does Benoit, and that really cracks back on that shoulder.
00:31:45I think Bret Hart's father trained both these men you're seeing right now.
00:31:50How about it, Coach?
00:31:53Spectacular reversal by Bret Hart.
00:31:56I think in many ways this has to be considered also among the most important bouts in the career of Chris Benoit.
00:32:08He talked earlier in that interview as we see him jump backwards and catch Hart with that dropkick to the midsection.
00:32:14Growing up in Edmonton, Canada, watching Stampede wrestling out of Calgary every week on TV.
00:32:19He idolized the Dynamite Kid and he idolized Bret Hart.
00:32:22And at the age of 11, Chris Benoit decided that he wanted to be a pro wrestler.
00:32:27And since that time Benoit has emulated his heroes, whether it's training style or wrestling technique.
00:32:33Nice move by the hitman there as he hits that side Russian leg sweep.
00:32:37And now being 13, you can see how he's improved.
00:32:40To the side of the head.
00:32:41You know, but also, as Snapmare takes Benoit down, there's a lot of fans of wrestling who watch their wrestlers each and every week and try to emulate their wrestlers and have the aspirations of becoming a pro wrestler.
00:32:54But not many of them have the ability of a Chris Benoit.
00:32:58He truly is.
00:32:59And he's a fine champion.
00:33:00I don't think there's any question that he's a well-deserving television champion.
00:33:04But he had the ability to gut it out, to train up in Calgary.
00:33:09And it's all come to the spotlight here.
00:33:11And as you said, Mike, one of his biggest matches ever.
00:33:14Maybe his most important match even though his title is not in the world.
00:33:17The excellence of execution when I think about this offensive flurry that we're seeing here.
00:33:21I'm thinking about the man that knows every move in the sport.
00:33:26To the side of the head.
00:33:28Benoit met in another comeback.
00:33:30Repeated headbutts.
00:33:31Put Bret Hart on the mat.
00:33:33Benoit, you talked about the high climb and over to .
00:33:36Can he use it now?
00:33:37An uppercut.
00:33:40That's the other thing you have to realize.
00:33:42Just how familiar both of these men are with each other's offensive moves.
00:33:46And that time Bret Hart just beat Benoit of the punch.
00:33:49And now up to the top.
00:33:50Going to try and superplex him back into the ring.
00:33:52Ah!
00:33:55That'll hurt for days, believe me.
00:33:57Many of the fans come to their feet here thinking it could be it.
00:34:00But can he make a cover?
00:34:02Two.
00:34:03Oh, look at both men.
00:34:04Three.
00:34:05Look at the agony on their faces.
00:34:07What they have been through in this battle.
00:34:09One, two, three.
00:34:11And the fans are right with, they're counting with Mickie J, the mandatory ten cam for both men.
00:34:17Which stops when Bret Hart stands to his feet.
00:34:20Steps through to the sharpshooter.
00:34:22No, no, no.
00:34:23He's going for a crippler crossface out of the sharpshooter.
00:34:26Look at him.
00:34:27He counted it.
00:34:28He's got him.
00:34:29Magnificently, he came away with one.
00:34:31Can he reach the ropes?
00:34:32Well, he's pulling to the middle so he can't get to the ropes.
00:34:35What are you saying now?
00:34:36What a great reversal by Benoit.
00:34:38And you're right, Brain, he drags Bret Hart back out to the middle of the ring.
00:34:42That's a professional.
00:34:43That's a man who knows where he's at every minute he's in that ring.
00:34:46Look how close he is.
00:34:47Just that close and finally reaches out.
00:34:49Come on.
00:34:54The fans cheer on the moves, they cheer on the counter moves.
00:34:57And the escapes, the breaks.
00:34:59They're with him on each and every move here.
00:35:01Out of the sharpshooter, the crippler put on the crippler crossface.
00:35:07Amazing.
00:35:08Reversal that time.
00:35:10Holding on.
00:35:11Yep.
00:35:12One suplex.
00:35:13He'll try it again.
00:35:14Snapped him again.
00:35:15Still holding on.
00:35:16Still hooking on.
00:35:17Going to try it a third time.
00:35:18Three suplexes.
00:35:20And that means he's going up top.
00:35:24This is what we talked about earlier.
00:35:25Combining the high-risk moves with the dangerous mat technique.
00:35:26And Benoit mounts the top rope.
00:35:27But he's going to the furthest corner.
00:35:29Oh!
00:35:30More elevation.
00:35:31More impact from the furthest corner.
00:35:33He drives.
00:35:34The head into the shoulder.
00:35:38He makes a cover.
00:35:39We've got a...
00:35:40He's one.
00:35:41Two only.
00:35:42Two.
00:35:43Two.
00:35:44Two.
00:35:45Two.
00:35:46Two.
00:35:47Neither of the men want to lose this one.
00:35:48Still strength in the legs of Bret Hart as he was able to kick out just after the two count from referee Mickie J. And Benoit back to the attack.
00:36:08Before Benoit grabbed the hair though, he looked down at Bret Hart that time.
00:36:14Maybe he was checking to see if his condition, if he was out or what.
00:36:19Belly to back suplex as Benoit just pushes himself up on his elbows, on his forearms.
00:36:25Look how slowly he gets to his feet.
00:36:26What a grueling match for both these men.
00:36:27How spin he is.
00:36:28But he tries a hard elbow once again.
00:36:29The thick part of the chest of Bret Hart.
00:36:32And now the chant of Let's Go Bret.
00:36:34And now the chant of Let's Go Bret.
00:36:37And now the chant of Let's Go Bret.
00:36:39And now the chant of Bret.
00:36:42And now the chant of Let's Go Bret from the capacity crowd here tonight.
00:36:47And Benoit's letting it get to him.
00:36:48Yes he is.
00:36:49He shouldn't do that.
00:36:50You gotta concentrate on the man in those big tights laying on that mat.
00:36:53That's who you have to be.
00:36:55Forget the humanoids.
00:36:56Bret Hart holds his own.
00:36:58And he comes away with the back elbow.
00:37:03Benoit face down.
00:37:06And Hart again.
00:37:09Back to his feet hovering over the Crippler.
00:37:12Hooks in.
00:37:13And a pile driver.
00:37:16He'll try to win it here.
00:37:21Too close to the ropes.
00:37:24Benoit rolled to the ropes.
00:37:26He knew he was in trouble.
00:37:27Sure did.
00:37:28He's smart enough to know, I don't think I can kick out of this.
00:37:30I'm gonna get myself some protection.
00:37:31Some insurance.
00:37:32And that's what he did.
00:37:33That's the professional this man is.
00:37:35Yeah, and it's amazing that he was able to do that after being just nailed with that pile driver by Bret Hart.
00:37:40Oh, he was dropped on his head.
00:37:41It's called ring awareness.
00:37:43All the greats in our sport have it.
00:37:49He hit the top turn on the bed very hard.
00:37:51Ben Watkins chops away at the hitman.
00:37:57They can hear those all the way to Edmonton.
00:38:03And he followed it up with a forearm shot to the side of the head.
00:38:06He's not done.
00:38:07The Crippler where he gets his reserve from, I'll never know.
00:38:10Foot to the face.
00:38:13Into a full Nelson.
00:38:15German suplex.
00:38:16And he's hooked it on.
00:38:18Rolling through with it again.
00:38:20There's two.
00:38:21Another one of his specialties gonna try it a third time.
00:38:23Great block by Hart.
00:38:25Not out of it yet.
00:38:27Back of the head and the decked Hart.
00:38:30Probably the best thing could have happened to Hart was him to drop down all fours that time
00:38:34to get away from the German suplex.
00:38:36Ben Watkins tried it again.
00:38:38And now he's pounding in the lower back again.
00:38:41Focusing once again to that lower back of Chris Ben Watkins.
00:38:44That's the professional he is.
00:38:45He goes for what he wounded.
00:38:47The lower back.
00:38:48And he stays on it.
00:38:51Uh-oh.
00:38:52Trying the cross face again.
00:38:53Look how Bret Hart puts the leg between the legs of Ben Watkins.
00:38:56He realizes he's in the middle of that ring.
00:38:58There's no place to go.
00:38:59Yeah, he blocked it.
00:39:00That was a very effective block that time, Mike.
00:39:02Again, the familiarity of these two wrestlers with each other's offensive.
00:39:05You know something how it evolved from a wrestling match to a physical battle now?
00:39:11Back to holds and moves on the mat.
00:39:12And he maneuvers him around.
00:39:16He forces him into trying to cross the legs.
00:39:19He's gonna try to put him in the sharp jitter.
00:39:21He got it.
00:39:22He got it.
00:39:23He got it.
00:39:24He got it.
00:39:25Look at that ring positioning in the middle of the ring.
00:39:27But he's not giving up.
00:39:28Benoit's not giving up.
00:39:29Yes, he is.
00:39:30He can only take so much.
00:39:31It's over.
00:39:32He can only take so much.
00:39:33It's over.
00:40:02He just don't give up.
00:40:03It's over.
00:40:04It's over.
00:40:05That's it.
00:40:06It's over.
00:40:07Good night.
00:40:08People are done.
00:40:09They're both out.
00:40:10Hey, guys.
00:40:11Well, we have to go.
00:40:12It's over.
00:40:13You can only take so much.
00:40:14Now, I'm missing out of Hollywood.
00:40:15We'll be in the middle of the ring.
00:40:16I'm missing out of Hollywood.
00:40:17I'm missing out of Hollywood, so we'll be easy.
00:40:18We'll be easy.
00:40:19We'll be down to Hollywood.
00:40:20We'll be easy.
00:40:21We'll be too much.
00:40:22We'll be okay.
00:40:23We'll be In the middle of the ring.
00:40:25We'll be the most successful.
00:40:26Last week, we'll be the most successful.
00:40:27We'll be taking it from the interview.
00:40:28Look at the show.
00:40:59Of course, the tribute match between Bret Hart and Chris Benoit, but also that night, I made an announcement that WCW had hired as head of its creative team, Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara from the World Wrestling Federation.
00:41:13Little did we know that one night would be the last we would see of Nitro as we knew it, Mike Denae.
00:41:20Absolutely.
00:41:21It was a landmark night for World Championship Wrestling and Monday Nitro, and the changes that have taken place over the course of the past few months have been just incredible.
00:41:29I think the thing that I think back on over the past couple of months is that recent edition of Monday Nitro, when we saw the reformation of the NWO.
00:41:36And the words as we went out, we never saw it coming.
00:41:40We never saw it coming.
00:41:42We never expected it.
00:41:43We thought when we hired Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara to come be the creative direction of World Championship Wrestling and on Nitro, Nitro was definitely going to improve, not only in content, in quality, but in the ratings also.
00:41:54I don't think we ever saw this coming.
00:41:55I like the guys.
00:41:59And you referred to me a couple of weeks ago or so as a kiss-up to them.
00:42:03I'm sure I was out there washing their car, but that's because I had splashed mud on it driving through.
00:42:07And that's why I was out there washing and waxing the car.
00:42:10Only a gentleman would do that.
00:42:11And yes, I was inside with a vacuum, too, because some dirt did get inside the car.
00:42:15And yes, I did take their luggage upstairs because they were inside and I had to clean out the trunk.
00:42:19I'm not a kiss-up.
00:42:20I'm not a kiss-up.
00:42:21And their wives and children are lovely.
00:42:23What did you get them for Christmas?
00:42:24I got them a- nothing.
00:42:26You're a glad-hander.
00:42:27I'm not.
00:42:27When we come back, the new direction of WCW Monday Nitro under the powers that be.
00:42:33It's all good.
00:42:34It's a good job.
00:42:35Whether you people like it or not, I am the chosen one.
00:42:43What do you see?
00:42:45Slim Jim.
00:42:46Slim Jim.
00:42:48Slim Jim!
00:42:49Need a little statement?
00:42:51Never doing Slim Jim!
00:42:52Welcome back, fans.
00:42:55Talking about the new era in WCW under the direction of the powers that be.
00:43:00Back in September when I announced that Russo and Ferraro would head up the new creative team at WCW,
00:43:05I didn't know to what extent they would dominate our program.
00:43:09Brain, you say you like the guys.
00:43:11I happen to like what I'm seeing on the programs right now.
00:43:14You may not always like what they stand for, what they do with creative control and what's been happening now with the NWO,
00:43:21but you've got to agree, and Mike, you have to agree too.
00:43:24Brain, I want your comments.
00:43:24First of all, that the direction they're taking makes for a very, very exciting television program.
00:43:30Ratings.
00:43:30That's all they're looking for.
00:43:31And excitement.
00:43:32And they're creating that right now.
00:43:33There's no doubt about it.
00:43:35There's a lot of wrestlers that don't like them being here.
00:43:37The Pipers.
00:43:38The Hacksaw Jim Duggins.
00:43:40He doesn't like cleaning out latrines.
00:43:41The Larry Zabisco.
00:43:42The Larry Zabisco, I saw him today.
00:43:45He was standing in a corner.
00:43:46He has a thing.
00:43:47He says, I'll be a legend for food.
00:43:49A big sign.
00:43:50A guy like this.
00:43:51Yeah, right.
00:43:52Let me tell you about one wrestler that really likes the fact that the powers that be are here.
00:43:56You know who that is.
00:43:57It's the chosen one, Jeff Jarrett.
00:43:58And I know I may have had a little personal problem with Jeff Jarrett as of late,
00:44:02but one thing I can admit, in his second stint here in World Championship Wrestling,
00:44:06Jeff Jarrett may be the most improved wrestler in WCW in 1999.
00:44:10Russo and Ferrara open the floodgates to new talent one more time.
00:44:15It's like the NWO all over again before they reform.
00:44:18They're coming in the front door, going out the back in World Championship Wrestling.
00:44:22Jeff Jarrett, king of the slap nuts, with guitar in hand, just the latest edition.
00:44:26Okay, here's Jeff Jarrett's very first appearance back on WCW Monday Nitro.
00:44:31The very same program, of course, where the powers that be took over creative control.
00:44:36It happened in Philadelphia.
00:44:37Tell him, Slappy.
00:44:40Things change rapidly, obviously.
00:44:42Oh, look at this!
00:44:44What is this?
00:44:44It's...
00:44:45Oh!
00:44:47Brain!
00:44:48Do you...
00:44:49That's Jarrett!
00:44:50Jeff Jarrett, what in the world is he going here?
00:44:54He's parting Buff's hair with a guitar is what he's doing here.
00:44:58We're gonna find out.
00:45:01You wanna talk about stroke, Buff?
00:45:05You wanna talk about being somebody's boy?
00:45:09Well, let me tell you a little something about stroke.
00:45:15How is it that last night, less than 24 hours ago, I was in Cleveland, Ohio, wrestling on
00:45:22a pay-per-view, and tonight, I'm here live on Monday Nitro.
00:45:27que vealè·Ÿ
00:45:32oi
00:45:33oi
00:45:34oi
00:45:34i
00:45:47oi
00:45:48oi
00:45:49oi
00:45:49oi
00:45:50oi
00:45:51Jeff Jarrett's trademark is the guitar, and Mike Tanay, I know you have felt that guitar,
00:46:19and let me say on your behalf that you have remained a pro about this.
00:46:22You obviously, you could have taken some legal action.
00:46:25You wanted a meeting with the powers that be.
00:46:27They wouldn't give you the time of day.
00:46:29You remained a pro behind the microphone when it's been a very, very tough thing to do.
00:46:32Well, it has been difficult, Tony, and really it goes back, I think, to the original formation of the NWO.
00:46:37When they started coming out and pushing the announcers around, you could almost see the second wave coming.
00:46:42Jeff Jarrett, the chosen one, the representative of the powers that be, and it became painfully obvious,
00:46:47and I emphasize, painful to me, that Jeff Jarrett will do anything to stay in the spotlight, Scott.
00:46:52Tony, we know Mike Tanay has no love lost for Jeff Jarrett.
00:46:56Rowdy Roddy Piper has no love lost for the powers that be, a man who helped build the sport.
00:47:00At age 13 on the streets, age 15, the youngest pro wrestler in the world helped build it to what it is today.
00:47:06He was and is an icon, but the PTB brought him all the way down, all the way down to a referee level,
00:47:13so much disrespect to that icon, Roddy Piper.
00:47:16Well, it was meant to be done to him, Scott.
00:47:18They don't like Piper.
00:47:19He's at such a high level, they wanted to kick his feet out from under him, and that's what they did.
00:47:24And that kind of represents, in a nutshell, all of what the powers-to-be have done since taking over here at WCW.
00:47:30Let's go back.
00:47:30It was in Detroit when Roddy Piper arrived on the scene once again, and they cut off his microphone, and here's what took place.
00:47:38Should have cut off his kilt.
00:47:38Hey, I have nothing to do with that.
00:47:48Hold on.
00:47:50Come on.
00:47:53Yeah.
00:47:55They have told the producers to kill your mic.
00:47:58I know the powers to be.
00:48:00Yeah, the powers to be.
00:48:04I hated to give him that news, but that's the truth.
00:48:08And here he goes.
00:48:10But you're telling me you want to appear on television, you have a contract that I need to fulfill, right?
00:48:16Well, no problem.
00:48:17Oh, I want to appear.
00:48:18You got it?
00:48:19No problem.
00:48:19I got it.
00:48:19No problem.
00:48:20The way I see things, you will be on television.
00:48:22Is that what you want?
00:48:23But from here on in, you know what your role is going to be?
00:48:27You will be a lowly referee.
00:48:31And I'll tell you what.
00:48:32If you refuse to put on that shirt, if you breach that contract that you have, I will sue your sorry, pruney, wrinkled-up ass for everything you're worth.
00:48:46You got that?
00:48:49Under the powers that be, Rowdy Roddy Piper has become a referee.
00:48:53And that has set the stage for the resurgence of the NWO.
00:48:57Just recently, on WCW Monday Nitro, the New World Order has come back into power.
00:49:01It's a brand new New World Order with Bret Hart, the world champion, the Outsiders, the world tag team champions, Jeff Jarrett, the U.S. heavyweight title.
00:49:11And Mike Tenet, that's what they've always been about, having all the titles.
00:49:14And I really think now that the NWO is back in power, it may be the most lethal NWO ever.
00:49:21I think you make a great point, Tony.
00:49:22And while we're still in the early stages of this latest formation of the New World Order, I think one thing we have to look at is the elite status of all the wrestlers.
00:49:32There's not a weak link at all in this new New World Order.
00:49:35We heard Jeff Jarrett say it.
00:49:36There would be no Hammond Eggers, with all due respect to Bobby the Brain Heenan, stealing his line, for Pete's sake.
00:49:42Jeff Jarrett said it.
00:49:43No Hammond Eggers in the New World Order.
00:49:44There will be nothing but the elite, and the Fort Knox edition of the NWO is only going to get stronger.
00:49:51And you know who's behind it.
00:49:53You know who's running the whole thing.
00:49:54The powers that be.
00:49:55That's right.
00:49:56And when they snap their fingers, you better jump.
00:50:00That's simple.
00:50:00You just better jump when they click their fingers.
00:50:02Mike, Scott, I want to ask you a question before we go to the break.
00:50:05Don't ask me a question.
00:50:06Because you'll give me your answer anyway.
00:50:07I don't need to ask you anything.
00:50:09Have intelligent conversations.
00:50:10It's been quite a year, 1999, for Bret Hart.
00:50:13We talked about the death of his brother.
00:50:15I even voted for him in WCW Magazine as Wrestler of the Year.
00:50:18And this was even before what happened with the NWO.
00:50:21He came back.
00:50:22He won the world title.
00:50:23Never thought he'd wrestle again.
00:50:24Were you surprised, based on all that's gone on in his career this year, that he did what he did with the NWO?
00:50:30I don't think surprised is strong enough, Tony.
00:50:32And I think I speak for a lot of people here in world championship wrestling.
00:50:36We were not only shocked, but we were appalled by the betrayal from Bret the Hitman Hart.
00:50:41Personally, we saw it with Chris Benoit.
00:50:43We saw it with Bill Goldberg.
00:50:44And in my mind, with the entire WCW organization.
00:50:47Well, the only thing consistent about Bret Hart is that he's inconsistent.
00:50:51You never know where he truly stands.
00:50:53He is almost an ice man like Dean Malenko, very rarely betraying his true beliefs and where he really stands within world championship wrestling.
00:51:01I think now it is crystal clear this is the real Bret Hart.
00:51:05But that is not always a bad thing to do.
00:51:07Not knowing where you're coming from always keeps your enemy, so to speak, one step off.
00:51:11Wouldn't you agree?
00:51:12Well, there's no doubt about it that Bret Hart stabbed us all in the back.
00:51:15Sure.
00:51:15But I'm used to it because I worked 30 years at Oakland.
00:51:18When we come back, we'll take you to probably the most memorable match ever on WCW Monday Nitro.
00:51:25That's up for debate.
00:51:26As Bill Goldberg won the world title from Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
00:51:30Stay with us.
00:51:31That's a deep gash.
00:51:32Oh, you're not kidding.
00:51:32Coming up next, 40,000 fans watch Goldberg and Hulk Hogan battle for the WCW title.
00:51:40It's next.
00:51:46Monday Nitro became a Hollywood Hogan platform and running for president of the United States.
00:51:52And I do have an important announcement to make.
00:51:58And I know it's a busy weekend.
00:52:00It's a holiday weekend.
00:52:01A lot of you have already made plans to be at the Georgia Dome this coming Monday night, July 6th.
00:52:07By last count, there were some like 35,000 tickets sold.
00:52:11There are some still available.
00:52:13But if you're not in the proximity of Atlanta, Georgia, I would suggest that you get on the phone, call your neighbors, call your friends.
00:52:21And if there was ever a Nitro that you didn't miss, I would suggest that you don't miss this coming Monday night.
00:52:28Because it is now official, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, the WCW champion, is contractually obligated to be in the Georgia Dome this coming Monday night for Nitro to defend the WCW heavyweight title belt against what I feel is the number one contender, Goldberg!
00:52:54Oh, yes!
00:52:56Hi, fans, we're back.
00:52:57And I know out there you have in your mind what you think has been the greatest match in Nitro history or the greatest moment.
00:53:04And hopefully over the last two hours and 50 minutes or so, we have given you some of our greatest moments.
00:53:09And you've been able to reminisce about some of yours.
00:53:12But I really think if you go back to one exciting moment, more than any, it would have to be back in July of 1998 when Bill Goldberg won the WCW world title.
00:53:23I say that because we saw it coming.
00:53:25We knew Goldberg eventually would have become the champion.
00:53:28But he defeated Hollywood Hulk Hogan, the greatest wrestler of all our time.
00:53:33I don't think there's any question about that.
00:53:35And he did it, Mike Tenet, in front of 40,000 fans at the Georgia Dome.
00:53:39It was really an incredible night, Tony.
00:53:41And when I think back to that night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, I look at it as more of a passing of the torch, a changing of the guard.
00:53:48When Goldberg defeated Hulk Hogan, in my mind, Bill Goldberg became the man to take world championship wrestling into the next millennium.
00:53:55It happened with Buddy Rogers and Bruno Sammartino.
00:53:58It happened with Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan in 1987.
00:54:01It happened again in 1998 when Goldberg took the mantle and became the man in wrestling by defeating Hulk Hogan.
00:54:08You just knew it that night.
00:54:09You could just feel it in the air.
00:54:10Sometimes you know when a team's going to win.
00:54:12Sometimes you sit down, you know this movie's going to be great.
00:54:14Sometimes you go on a date and you just know it's going to work out.
00:54:17At the end of the evening, you're not going to get slapped and you're not going to get told to get out of the house.
00:54:20Don't ever try that again.
00:54:22I mean, so what you really basically know, you just knew he was going to win.
00:54:25You just knew he was that good and it was his time.
00:54:28You get slapped around often?
00:54:30Well, if you go to Val...
00:54:31Never mind.
00:54:32Have you seen Penzer?
00:54:34Penzer!
00:54:34Let me call him.
00:54:36Penzer!
00:54:37Oh.
00:54:39No, I haven't seen Penzer.
00:54:40Well, hopefully we'll get David Penzer.
00:54:42Are you missing Walt?
00:54:45Hopefully we'll get David Penzer, but while we look for David, you enjoy 40,000 fans of the Georgia Dome and...
00:54:51Penzer!
00:54:54And Goldberg becomes the world heavyweight champion.
00:54:56Booze boy!
00:54:59The moment, the night, the world has been waiting for is on us.
00:55:05Hogan is still at his best, and I'll tell you why.
00:55:08He's worried.
00:55:09He's nervous.
00:55:10He's scared to death.
00:55:12But he didn't let Goldberg know that, did he?
00:55:14Or anybody else.
00:55:15But I know the man.
00:55:16He came to the ring.
00:55:17You know what's going through his mind.
00:55:19What am I going to do with this man?
00:55:21I've got a plan.
00:55:22I hope it works.
00:55:23Never had a...
00:55:23Had always had his game face on.
00:55:26And notice, he made Goldberg go to the ring first.
00:55:29He took his time coming out.
00:55:30He made Goldberg wait.
00:55:32Hogan, right now, is at his best.
00:55:35Goldberg has answered every challenge to date.
00:55:38This is the biggest win.
00:55:40That heightened sense of anticipation is now over.
00:55:44Let the match begin.
00:55:45Gentlemen, start your engines.
00:55:48The fans erupt at the bell.
00:55:50I've never seen that, never heard that in our sport.
00:55:56And the camp begins.
00:55:58And Hogan's slowing down the pace.
00:56:02Remember, Hogan doesn't have to beat Goldberg.
00:56:06Can Goldberg last an hour?
00:56:08Can Hogan last an hour with Goldberg?
00:56:10Vance, as we said earlier, we'll stay with you as long as it takes
00:56:13to conclude this matchup.
00:56:15Immediately, Goldberg uses the power.
00:56:21Your basic side headlock, fundamental, elementary move in wrestling
00:56:27to try to establish the power advantage.
00:56:30And immediately, Hogan goes down to one knee.
00:56:33Well, among the wrestling factions, many critics would put
00:56:36World Championship Wrestling number three in the pecking order
00:56:39behind the two NWO groups.
00:56:41I think especially with the recent defection of Sting and Luger.
00:56:44Can you imagine the shot in the arm for World Championship Wrestling
00:56:49if Goldberg were able to bring the world's heavyweight title
00:56:54back to WCW?
00:56:56Then you would watch the balance of power shift.
00:57:00Fans, we talk so much about what a night this was,
00:57:03a history-making night.
00:57:05It's the biggest crowd ever to see,
00:57:06a televised wrestling event on cable TV,
00:57:09and you're a part of it.
00:57:11And it could be the night where Goldberg walks away
00:57:14with the goal from arguably the greatest champion
00:57:19our sport has ever had in Hollywood, Hogan.
00:57:22Front chance to reapply.
00:57:24Goldberg tried to power him out of it,
00:57:25but just content with sending Hogan back to the corner.
00:57:29If Hogan gets a victory over Goldberg,
00:57:32you'll never be able to live with that man.
00:57:34We'll never hear the end of it.
00:57:35It'll destroy the sport.
00:57:36I'm not so sure if Hogan-
00:57:37I think it will.
00:57:38I'm not so sure if Hogan gouged the eyes,
00:57:40or maybe a sweat that got down into Goldberg's eyes,
00:57:43but he was flinching, digging into his eyes.
00:57:46I mean, you have to realize
00:57:48that Hogan has been in some big matches
00:57:50and some big venues against some big men.
00:57:54So this is nothing new to him.
00:57:57But I would dare say that there's ever been
00:58:00a 100% ground swell against him
00:58:03like there is here tonight.
00:58:05100% I would say.
00:58:08Well, Hogan has to be the biggest name
00:58:10in the history of this sport.
00:58:12And I think you're looking at right there
00:58:13that man, Goldberg,
00:58:15who will go on to be the biggest name
00:58:17in this sport eventually someday.
00:58:19Only time will tell.
00:58:21What an opportunity tonight for this man.
00:58:23We have followed his steps all through tonight.
00:58:27And Hogan takes the shortcut,
00:58:31goes to the ropes.
00:58:33Still a smart move on the part of Hollywood Hogan,
00:58:35using the ropes to get the break.
00:58:38He knows the highway.
00:58:39He knows every turn, every bump.
00:58:43Hogan's a very powerful man.
00:58:45Usually a move like that,
00:58:47he can hold his own.
00:58:48A lot of times it's leverage.
00:58:49Hogan did the right thing.
00:58:50And now because of it, Hollywood,
00:58:52the world champ,
00:58:54is taking charge here.
00:58:57Well, he's filled him out.
00:58:58He knows how strong he is now.
00:58:59He's been in a...
00:59:00Ow!
00:59:02I don't know if I'd do that.
00:59:07Charles Robinson,
00:59:09patting the back of him.
00:59:10He's gonna let the bench go off.
00:59:12And Goldberg's got the belt.
00:59:13Get a phone book, Hogan,
00:59:15and put it in your pants.
00:59:17And he doesn't even want the belt.
00:59:19He threw the belt away!
00:59:22That's confidence right there.
00:59:24This man's on a roll.
00:59:25He's got momentum.
00:59:26You can see the confidence in his face.
00:59:29And you can see it slipping away from Hogan.
00:59:30But then again with Hogan,
00:59:31you never know.
00:59:32You never know.
00:59:35Goldberg threw that belt away.
00:59:36He doesn't want to take any shortcuts.
00:59:39He wants to earn the victory over Hogan.
00:59:43I think he was smart enough to realize, too,
00:59:44with that belt,
00:59:45he could have accidentally hit a referee,
00:59:47caused some disqualification.
00:59:48A lot of things could have happened.
00:59:50He's done his homework.
00:59:52Low blow by Hogan.
00:59:53Referee didn't see it.
00:59:55Charles Robinson, though, moments ago,
00:59:56allowed the match to continue,
00:59:57even though Hogan had used the belt.
00:59:59A pat on the back for Charles Robinson.
01:00:01The fans want to see a clear-cut winner.
01:00:03And so do we.
01:00:05But the low blow by Hogan has given him this advantage.
01:00:09And he runs right over Goldberg.
01:00:11Boy, he drilled him.
01:00:13Goldberg hit very hard.
01:00:15Hit very hard.
01:00:16Hogan not trying to make a cover.
01:00:18A blatant choke hold right in front of the referee.
01:00:21Remember earlier, Scott Hall had success with the clothesline.
01:00:24Hollywood Hogan was obviously paying close attention,
01:00:27and he just laid out Goldberg with the Lariat.
01:00:32A pick up, and Goldberg goes down hard.
01:00:35Now, you won't admit this.
01:00:36This is the most punishment Goldberg's taken in any of his matches.
01:00:40Look, Goldberg rolling over.
01:00:42He made Hogan try the elbow drop twice.
01:00:45That was a great move.
01:00:46And he's back, and Hogan's down.
01:00:50And Hogan knows where he's at.
01:00:51He rolls out to the floor.
01:00:52He's gonna take as much of that count as he can.
01:00:57What a great move by Goldberg.
01:01:00What a great match.
01:01:01To roll over on his back, forcing Hogan to try the elbow drop for a second time.
01:01:06As he missed, Goldberg up.
01:01:09Hogan on the outside.
01:01:11He's thinking right now,
01:01:13I'm gonna find me something down here on the floor.
01:01:18Yep, back on.
01:01:20Hogan and signal trouble here for Goldberg.
01:01:26The leader of NWO Hollywood.
01:01:28The man who has made so much of a difference in our sport on many levels.
01:01:32Goldberg trying to forge his own way,
01:01:39began his own status, his own legendary status,
01:01:42which in many ways has been paved since September 22nd of last year.
01:01:48Can you believe that?
01:01:50Of last year, less than a year here.
01:01:54Uh-oh.
01:01:55This is where Goldberg does not wanna be,
01:01:58because Hogan on the outside, guys, is a master.
01:02:01Oh, so dangerous is Hogan driving Goldberg face first into the steel third rail, and now he's got the chair from behind.
01:02:10Referee trying to get it back.
01:02:15Goldberg tried to thin that one off, but could not.
01:02:18The third shot put him down to the knee again.
01:02:20Well, Goldberg knows right now what he's in there with, what he's heard about his whole life,
01:02:25how tough this man Hogan can be, what this man's capable of doing, and he knows right now firsthand what Hogan's all about.
01:02:33Comes a time in every great athlete's career where you gotta dig down deep,
01:02:38where you gotta suck it up, where you gotta prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you belong here.
01:02:44For Goldberg, the time is right now, because the champ is leveling with everything.
01:02:50Hogan with those patented leg drops has delivered to it, here comes Kurt Hennig to ringside.
01:02:56And we've got company.
01:02:59There's Marone and DDP following Hennig.
01:03:03He kicked out from the Hogan leg drop, that has Hollywood stun.
01:03:07Diamond clear!
01:03:09Yes, yes, Marone can use the diamond clear.
01:03:14And look at Goldberg, he's ready.
01:03:19He's poised!
01:03:20Open the ground down!
01:03:22Okay, there's part one, now finish him off, finish him off!
01:03:28He's calling for it!
01:03:30This is it, this is it!
01:03:35Your career's on the line here, do it, do it!
01:03:38This place will erupt when he picks him up.
01:03:42He's got him off!
01:03:43Hell yeah!
01:03:47One, two, three!
01:03:51Thank you, thank you, thank you!
01:03:54We've got a new onlyweight champion in the world.
01:03:57The first undefeated man in the history of this sport to ever win the world championship.
01:04:04We have a record of 107, 108, who cares?
01:04:08There's zero on the other side.
01:04:10We've got a new champion.
01:04:12Listen to this.
01:04:14Yeah!
01:04:15There's so many things that we want to say, so many people that we want to thank for the last almost five years of WCW,
01:04:24especially when Nitro has been on the air, it will be very difficult for us to name everyone, the people behind the camera, our producers, our directors up in the control room right now.
01:04:34The many people who get to the building very early in the morning to set up the ring and the lights and the cameras for WCW Monday Nitro.
01:04:41We are very fortunate that we are in front of the camera being able to bring you what we think, truly think, is the greatest sports entertainment in the entire world.
01:04:47But we want to thank you fans for being with us and we firmly believe that when we go into the new millennium, this is a special moment here, lame brain.
01:04:54When we go into the new millennium, we are going to bring you the very best television program possible.
01:04:59Scott Hudson, I'm going to go back to the building very early in the morning to set up the ring and the lights and the cameras for WCW Monday Nitro.
01:05:04We are very fortunate that we are in front of the camera being able to bring you what we think, truly think, is the greatest sports entertainment in the entire world.
01:05:10But we want to thank you fans for being with us and we firmly believe that when we go into the new millennium, this is a special moment here, lame brain.
01:05:16Scott Hudson will be joining our broadcast team with myself and Bobby the Brain Heenan.
01:05:20Scott, as always, it's great working with you. You are my wife's favorite announcer.
01:05:24Keep it up.
01:05:25Boy, how to take that. Of course, his wife doesn't own a TV.
01:05:29Jeremy Borash and Chad Demiani of WCW.com of The Hotline. Always good having you with us.
01:05:37And Mike Tenet, you always will be the professor.
01:05:40And David Pinzer, our illustrious announcer.
01:05:42Gentlemen, I'd like to pour some champagne. We'll have a little New Year's toast.
01:05:45I did such a good job. Can I partake?
01:05:47Oh, this is going to be great.
01:05:48You get the last glass, David. You did all the work tonight.
01:05:50That's right.
01:05:51I worked hard.
01:05:52You did work hard.
01:05:53You get the big payoff, Dave.
01:05:54You did work hard.
01:05:55I'm going to get you, David. I said the last glass.
01:05:57That's right.
01:05:58You need a miracle here?
01:05:59Hey, don't forget me.
01:06:00I'm not going to forget you, pal.
01:06:01I know you always take care of me.
01:06:02Don't forget the boss.
01:06:03Don't forget the boss.
01:06:05It's a team effort, isn't it, guys?
01:06:07There's a little three-fingers here.
01:06:08Hey.
01:06:09Let's have a little.
01:06:10I can't wait.
01:06:11I want to talk.
01:06:12That's plenty.
01:06:13That's nothing.
01:06:14Careful, Dave.
01:06:15Don't spill it.
01:06:16Here, you get two cents.
01:06:17Okay, everybody.
01:06:18Happy New Year.
01:06:19We had a great time in the 90s, 70s, 80s, 60s, 40s.
01:06:21You were there at the teens.
01:06:22What a great time we had.
01:06:24WCW, right here, TNT, TBS.
01:06:27Let's get wet.
01:06:28I'm Tony Schiavone.
01:06:31Happy New Year, everyone, and we'll see you in the year 2000.
01:06:34Enjoy, Dave.
01:06:37Let's sing.
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